Little things

And on the subject of every little thing making a difference ... Doctors at Children's Hospital in Boston found a very simple way for out-of-shape teens to lose weight: Stop consuming sugary drinks.

Over a six-month period, kids who replaced soda and juices with calorie-free drinks lost about a pound a month.

That isn't surprising if you do the math. The average teen might consume a couple of sugary drinks a day -- maybe 300 calories worth. That's about 2,100 calories week, or about 9,000 calories a month.

Replace those drinks with sugar-free versions and it's easy to see how a pound might slip away.

When it comes to keeping track of calories consumed, part of the problem is perception. Kids -- and, we dare say, adults -- might think that juices, bottled teas and so-called "fitness" drinks aren't as bad for them as pop. Actually, those "healthy" drinks might contain even more sugar than a cola or a lemon-lime soda.